


A Strange Encounter in the Woods

by DJ_Greg



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Businessman Dean, Casual Sex, Explicit Language, Forest Sex, Lawyer Sam Winchester, M/M, Making Out, Oblivious Castiel, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-13
Updated: 2017-10-13
Packaged: 2019-01-16 18:54:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12348612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DJ_Greg/pseuds/DJ_Greg
Summary: Businessman Dean Winchester always spends his free days from work by wandering around the forest located on the outskirts of his city and taking pictures of nature. It's on one of those trips that he loses his way and needs to ask for directions from an odd man he stumbles across. The man agrees to help him, but at a price...





	A Strange Encounter in the Woods

**Author's Note:**

> Artwork NSFW.

Dirt shuffled under Dean’s sneakers as he carefully made his way closer to the target. It haven’t yet noticed him or if it did, it felt secure enough to stay in place.

 _That’s right_ , Dean tried to sent pacifying thoughts. _Nothing to worry about. Just don’t move for a couple more seconds and you’re mine._ There was still a thirteen feet gap between them, but he didn’t dare to risk moving any closer. He zeroed his eyes on the target, slowly raised his hands and…

Snap!

At the sudden flush of camera's light the blue bird flew into the sky and disappeared above treetops. Whatever. Dean already had the picture he hunted for in past fifteen minutes. A wide grin stretched his mouth as he scrolled through all the pictures he took today and found the latest one, a tiny bird cleaning its wings. The little son of a bitch refused to stay still, constantly moving from place to place, but Dean finally caught him. No blur, perfect angle. Just the way he wanted.

Dean checked his watch. It was six p.m. and he decided to start heading home. While taking pictures in the forest was a great way to relax after another demanding week at work and he’d prefer to stay longer, tomorrow he had to get up early to drive two hours to his brother and sister-in-law’s house for their traditional Sunday dinner. So with some disappointment Dean packed his camera, flung backpack over his shoulder and straightened up.

Uh… Which way now?

Everywhere he turned, there was a tick labyrinth of trees and high grass. Crap, in his determination to catch the blue bird he left the dirt road and didn’t even realize it.

Ignoring the uneasiness seeping inside his chest, Dean turned around and started walking ahead, carefully scanning the surrounding area. No reason to panic. He only needed to retrace his steps and he’ll find the path in no time. Besides, he was completely sure that while chasing after the blue bird he was walking in straight line the whole time.

But as time passed, Dean grew more and more desperate, unable to locate the way out. Despite the fact that he ventured into those woods on numerous occasions before, sometimes to take pictures, sometimes to pick up mushrooms or simply stretch legs, he didn’t recognize any of the landscapes he came across. It was clear that he wandered into unfamiliar territory. Dean picked up his pace, convinced that any moment he’ll walk out onto the main dirt road. His heavy breathing, snapping of sticks under his feet and items rolling around in his backpack were the only sounds that broke the silence. Even birds seemed to go quiet, which was creepy.

Instead of the way out, he found a small cliff blocking his road. Where this thing came from? Dean didn’t recall any cliffs being marked on the maps when he checked them last time. He slowly stepped to the rocky formation and run his hand against it to make sure it was really there, feeling the sharp edged scratch his fingertips.

Fuck, he was _lost_.

He couldn’t use GPS or call for help, because he left his phone in Impala in case someone at work tried to interrupt his first free Saturday in seven years. The only option Dean had right now was to wander around and get lucky, which wouldn’t be such a big problem – he had to find the edge of the woods eventually – if not for the fact that in two hours the sunset will start and then he’ll be stuck in darkness with only small flashlight as his only source of illumination.

Full on panic finally started settling in, squeezing and twisting Dean's insides. He closed his eyes and focus on breathing deeply to calm down a little, inhaling through nose and exhaling through mouth.

_Keep your mind clear, Winchester! There… there HAS to be a way out!_

A quiet shuffle came from left side and Dean snapped his head in that direction, afraid to see a wild animal preparing to attack him. Instead his heart skipped a beat when he saw a man strolling between trees several feet away.

“Hey!” Dean shouted, instantly moving to chase after him.

The stranger turned around and stared with a wide-eyed expression at Dean. Realizing how he must look like, running and screaming in panic, Dean slowed down to not scare the man away.

Once he got closer, he noticed that the man was very handsome, with dark bed hair, square jaw covered in thick beard, pale pink lips and, goddamned, the most beautiful eyes Dean ever saw in his life, being the color of sky on summer day. Momentarily Dean couldn’t find his voice, mesmerized by their view.

“Uh… sorry for bothering you, but could you help me out?” he eventually choked out. “I got lost.”

The man knitted his eyebrows and titled his head to the side. “Lost?” he repeated in such tone as if not only he couldn’t believe that Dean got lost, but the mere concept of anyone ever losing their way was beyond his comprehension. Even though Dean was taken aback, he also noticed how enticing the stranger’s voice was, sounding like he had a few glassed of Scotch and much deeper than you’d expect from someone so inconspicuous.

Dean cleared his throat, forcing himself to focus on the conversation. “Yeah, lost. Do you know how to get to the parking lot on East side of the woods?”

“I do” the man confirmed.

A long silence fell between them as the stranger stared blankly at Dean. Somewhere up on treetops two birds started arguing with each other.

“Could you show me the way then?” Dean specified.

 _Now_ he understood. “Oh, of course. That’s not a problem.” The man paused and his impossibly blue eyes wandered over Dean’s entire body, slowing down on long bowlegs, large chest highlighted by tight t-shirt and muscled arms. Once he was done, a faint smile appeared on his lips, causing Dean to shift nervously in place. He wasn’t sure anymore if he made the right choice by talking with this guy. Maybe he came across someone mentally unstable?

_For fuck’s sake, Winchester. You need to cut down on horror movies._

“Forgive me” the stranger said. “I don’t often interact with people, so my ‘ _people skills_ ’ are quite rusty. I can take you to the parking lot, but to my knowledge when you ask for a favor, you should offer something in return. Isn’t that correct?”

What kind of A-class douchebag expects payback from people in desperate need before granting them help? Is the stranger going to just _abandon_ him if he refuses?

“And what do you want from me?” Dean spat out.

Instead of answering, the stranger moved back a step and in smooth motion took off his shirt, exposing slim chest with only a tiny trail of dark hair running in the middle of it and red, erected nipples. Dean felt air getting knocked out of his lungs and he was only able to stare as the man turned around, grabbed the top of his pants and… _oh, fuck…_ he pulled them down to mid-tights, revealing his round butt.

 

 

“I want to feel you inside me” the stranger announced, looking back over his shoulder.

Dean's cock hardened within matter of seconds and started pressing against denim of his underwear. All of his suspicions evaporated, replaced by a desperate need to bury himself balls deep in this beautiful body.

Entranced, he stepped closer and reached out to cup one of the cheeks. The skin was warm and mostly smooth under his palm with occasional hint of tiny hair covering it. The stranger sighed in contentment and Dean looked up. The view of pure bliss on the man's face, complete with closed eyes and half-opened mouth, shot a new wave of arousal down his groin. He grabbed the stranger's head with his free hand and guided it closer, smashing their lips in hungry kiss. Their tongues immediately found each other and Dean tasted black berries. The man had to eat them recently.

As they continued making out, panting and sucking, Dean skated his fingers over the asscheeks, before slipping between them into a warm crack. He lazily explored it and when he found the hole he was searching for, stranger moaned and jerked away reflexively, only to press back harder a second later, inviting Dean in. He massaged the place, feeling the muscles easily opening for him.

That's when he pulled his mouth and fingers away, but kept his hand on the stranger's ass. He breathed heavily, feeling his cock aching painfully, demanding to be freed from the jeans.

 _Jesus Christ_ , what was he doing? Was he seriously contemplating fucking this man right here, on grass in the middle of the woods? A complete stranger whom he just met? While he was lost?

Clearly, the man wasn't troubled by similar thoughts. “What do you say?” he purred, planting a gentle kiss on Dean's jaw. “Are you willing to pay such token?”

Dean faltered and lowered his eyes, unsure what to say. His eyes landed on the stranger's cock, which was also hard and standing at attention, its head glistening from pre-cum. Goddamned, Dean wanted to do it. He wanted to take this man and pound into his beautiful ass, until he emptied his load inside, even if it was the craziest idea in his entire life.

“I'd love to” Dean admitted “but I don't have any condoms.”

The stranger barked in laughter. “You can't catch anything from me” he assured calmly. A carefree smile lightened up his entire face and Dean had to fight the urge to give in.

“Sorry, buddy, I ain't risking it. We're not having sex without protection.”

For a moment the stranger turned sullen, but then he perked up again and smiled at Dean. “I believe I have some condoms in my cabin. It’s in the same direction as you’re heading, so we won’t be putting any additional distance.”

Just like that any of Dean’s reservation melted away and blood once more rushed toward his cock, which started softening during their conversation. He nodded eagerly, unable to squeeze a single word through his sore throat. The stranger pulled pants back on and without hesitation started walking to their right, still naked from waist up, crumpled t-shirt swung over his bare shoulders.

Dean followed obediently, slowly realizing what he just did. He was following after a complete stranger he met in the woods with full intention to fuck him. It’s not that he had anything against casual sex. Heck, due to the amount of time he spends at work – up to fourteen hours a day, usually six days a week – he had no chance to sustain a relationship, so it was the only way for him to blow some steam. But until now he always knew the guy he was about to fuck with, like his most regular partner and good friend from Sandovers, Benny.

As he tried to keep up with the stranger who moved swiftly through the forest, clearly being familiar with the environment, Dean asked: “What’s your name anyway?”

The man didn’t even look back when he answered: “Castiel.”

Dean briefly stopped in his track and did a double-take, before quickly resuming his walk. Who the fuck calls their kid “ _Castiel_ ”? It didn’t sound like an American name. Maybe the guy comes from immigrant family?

“That’s a rather… unusual name” Dean noted.

“Completely ordinary in my family” Castiel assured. “One of my brothers for example is called Samandriel, but everyone addresses him as ' _Alfie_ '. Don’t ask me, why. I have no idea.”

“Uh… and how long your family lived here?”

“Since always. This forest is where we are born and where we die.”

So apparently Castiel’s family was a bunch of hermits with limited contact to outside world. No wonder the guy didn’t understand how to carry out a normal conversation or the true importance of sexual protection. At least he had condoms, so he must’ve used them in the past.

They continued the rest of the journey in relative silence, interrupted only by cries of birds and swishing of leaves on treetops, the sound of sticks breaking under their feet and Dean’s heavy breathing. Unlike his companion, Castiel moved smoothly and showed no signs of getting tired. Every once in awhile he would comment on area they’re passing through, giving an advice on how to proceed for easier time. Dean was impressed and a little jealous of his experience. Those regular Sunday visits to the forest he practiced for last five years to photograph animals and nature clearly didn’t give him as wide knowledge about the terrain as he believed. The way Castiel surely stepped around put things into perspective.

Almost forty minutes later they reached their first destination. The cabin that appeared in front of Dean wasn't what he expected. Instead of old and sturdy place an entire family could've lived in for generations, it was rather new, freshly painted two-stories cottage with large windows that allowed lots of sunlight in.

“Your family lives here?” Dean doubted.

Castiel chuckled. “Not all of us. We wouldn't fit in such small space. Only me and my parents.”

Most people would probably sneer at adult man still living with his parents, but those people clearly didn't know what it was like to grow up without family, something Dean understood well. His brother and sister-in-law were the only family he had left, and he cherished every moment they spent together. In last four years they missed their traditional Sunday dinner only once, when Sam and Jess went on honeymoon.

“Will they mind that you brought a stranger home?” Dean asked.

“My parents are out” Castiel explained. “We can do whatever we want, _wherever_ we want.”

Arousal that cooled down during their travel reawaken, spreading pleasant warm in Dean's abdomen and groin. His cock twitched in interest and slowly started hardening again.

He followed Castiel through the front door, which opened right into a large living area sparsely furnished with a couch, coffee table, two bookshelves and chest of drawers, all looking relatively new and clean. The place reminded Dean more of display room at furniture store than someone's lived-in home. Even his apartment he only used to catch some sleep between shifts didn't appear this empty. It was… eerie…

However, any worry that sprung inside his heart was nipped in the bud when Castiel casually stripped of his clothes right next to the entrance and completely naked stepped across the room to chest of drawers. He pulled a condom out of a drawer and turned back to Dean, giving him another view of his erection.

“I believe our sexual encounter would be more successful if you took your clothes off.”

_Guy sure is eager._

Dean didn’t have to be told twice. Although he managed to stop himself from throwing the backpack on the floor, remembering at the last second about his camera, he unceremoniously ripped the shirt over his head and tossed it away without paying attention where it landed, kicked off his shoes and pulled his pants down, taking them off along with underwear and socks. His newly freed, erect cock was bouncing in the rhythm of his movements, driving Dean _insane_ with lust. In three huge steps he reached Castiel and _crashed_ him in a tight hug, their lips immediately finding each other.

While using his tongue to explore Castiel’s mouth and enjoying the lingering taste of berries he found there, Dean slid his hands across the man’s back all the way to the soft butt he’ll plow into soon – fuck, the mere _thought_ of doing so made him moan in pleasure – and squeezed it playfully.

The whole situation might be bizarre and king of unsettling, but he didn’t care right now. His mind was clouded by pure _want_ and he couldn’t wait to blow his load inside this beautiful, odd stranger that felt perfect against his naked body.

He pressed his hands firmly on Castiel’s ass to hold him in place and pushed his hips forward, rubbing their cocks together. Castiel broke off the kiss and rolled his head, loud gasp escaping from his parted lips, then he fixed his eyes on Dean and returned the favor. The friction was perfect, almost on the side of too painful, so they kept it up. Pre-cum leaked profusely from their dicks now and smeared across their stomachs.

Heat building inside Dean’s groin was reaching an alarming level and he knew if they keep it up, he’ll shoot before getting a taste of Castiel’s asshole, the main reason he even came here. He stopped the frotting and moved back a bit. The soft cry of protest and disappointed expression on his lover’s face were so comical, Dean nearly chuckled, but instead he gave Castiel a soft kiss as a cheer-up and pulled him across the room toward the couch. Castiel quickly caught on and kneelt across it, his arms positioned on headrest and butt sticking out in the air, fully exposing the tight rim Dean wanted to penetrate.

Struggling to stay clear minded enough to not rush into things, Dean positioned himself on the floor behind Castiel on the same eye-level as his asshole. He pulled apart both cheeks with one hand and used the index finger of the other one to slowly circle around the muscle ring, helping Castiel loosen up. Only now Dean realized they could use another thing in addition to condoms.

“Do you have lube?” he asked in horse voice.

Castiel looked over his shoulder and shook his head.

No problem. They can improvise.

When Castiel was relaxed enough and started rocking into his touch, Dean pulled away, sucked on his index and middle fingers, getting them thoroughly covered in spit, and returned to preparation. Slowly he pushed one finger through the tight muscle ring, which gave in easily. A content sigh he earned from Castiel encouraged him to continue, so he pushed all the way in, making sure to slid against prostate. Castiel jolted and pushed backward, trying to force more of Dean inside. “Yeah, just like that…” he mumbled barely audibly. “Don’t stop… Please…”

Dean pumped in and out, forcing more moans and gasps from Castiel, until he was satisfied with how loose the rim got and added the other finger to the mix. He kept scissoring his lover and increasing the speed for a couple of minutes, turning Castiel into a blubbering mess of lust. Sweat appeared on man’s back, tights and cheeks, glistening in sunlight sneaking inside through large windows, and his cock bounced in the air, tapping against Dean’s chest, as Castiel rolled his hips in attempt to drive the fingers deeper.

Finally, Dean reached his limits. His dick was hard and aching, ready for release, his body burning in need. With one last touch on Castiel’s prostate, he pulled out and stood up, feeling a little wobbly on his legs. He grabbed the condom tossed carelessly on the couch cushion, ripped it out of the foil and quickly slid it onto his erection, biting his lower lip at the sensation of pleasurable tightness enveloping his entire length. At least he calmed down while fingering Castiel, so he won’t blow his load easily. He wanted for it to last, he wanted to enjoy this ass to the fullest.

He grabbed his cock, positioned the tip against Castiel's wet hole and pushed inside. _Jesus Christ--_ The wet heat was perfect around his erection as he bottomed out completely and paused for a moment, partially to savor in sensation, partially to give Castiel time to get used to being filled.

Then Dean grabbed the man by his hips and started moving.

Slowly at first, with last conscious part of his mind not overrun by lust warning him that pounding into this ass right away, despite how tempting it was, would be a jerkass move and seriously hurt Castiel, ruining the good mood. That’s why he forced himself to go easy, ignoring the need to speed up and instead focusing on the feeling of wet channel sliding tightly around his member, stimulating the sensitive flesh.

In front of him Castiel sighed and sunk lower, pressing his forehead against couch cushions and letting his arms hang limply in the air. Never in his entire life did Dean see anyone this overtaken by pleasure. The knowledge that he was the one giving it to Castiel only increased his arousal. He kept rocking back and forth, while the man tamely took everything he gave, deep moans and words of encouragement slipping from his mouths. “Feels so _good_ … Please, make me cum… I want to reach my orgasm with you inside me…” Those whispers teased Dean’s ears like soft kisses, promising a release that will rip through his body and leave him sated for days.

Eventually Dean realized that the rim became more relaxed around him and was ready for rougher treatment, so he fixed his hold on Castiel’s waists and sped up.

The response was almost immediate as Castiel jerked his head up and leaned back, trying to take Dean’s cock deeper. His words turned into a pure gibberish, almost completely drowned out by moans and cries that escaped from his throat every time Dean slammed against his ass, pushing him forward on each thrust.

It was _perfect_. Dean continued increasing his speed, chasing after the release. His body was on fire and covered in sweat that streamed down his temples, chest and back. The sound of his heavy breathing he barely recognized as his own, slapping of wet skin on skin and Castiel’s sweat cries filled the room. It’s been years since Dean fucked someone and he managed to forget how awesome a nice pounding could feel. Benny was also a top and had no interest in taking cock up his ass, so their meetings were generally limited to mutual blowjobs, handjobs and massages, all of which felt great, don’t get Dean wrong, but he missed the sensation of warm, soft channel squeezing around him, causing delicious friction that slowly milked cum out of him. And Castiel was easily the best bottom he ever hooked up with, so eager and responsive.

Dammit, he was _so close_ , he could feel orgasm building inside his balls—

That’s when Castiel suddenly pulled away, sliding Dean’s cock out and ending the friction he chased after.

“What the fuck?!” Dean cried out, staring in shock at the men.

Instead of responding, Castiel stood up and pressed a hand to Dean’s chest, pushing him to sit down on the couch with his erection pointing upward. Once again their mouth met in kiss, short and sweet one, before Castiel crawled over his lower, knees on each side of Dean’s waists, and lowered himself on the aching cock. Any shock and anger immediately evaporated from Dean’s mind, because the wet heat was _back_ and then Castiel started _riding_ him, and he could only trash his head on headrest, moaning gutturally. As his balls started tightening, he barely noticed that Castiel was furiously jacking off, only able to focus on the wonderful friction and heat raising inside his cock.

 

 

Finally, orgasm _slammed_ through him and Dean froze in place, moaning loudly. Cum shot out his erection as Castiel continued mercilessly milking it until the last drop.

Dean slumped down on the couch like a puppet with its strings cut, savoring in pure bliss filling his entire body. Slowly he became aware that Castiel kept riding him, the noise of jacking off reaching his ears, and even though he was done, he didn’t have strength to stop him. After a minute Castiel's movement ceased completely and his load splattered over Dean’s stomach, mixing with sweat that covered it already.

Then only their heavy breathing broke the silence as they sat still, calming down after intense experience. Castiel was the first one to speak: “That was enjoyable.”

Dean chuckled, because what an _understatement_.

“Yeah, I agree.”

It took only several minutes for them to cool down and once they did, Dean became uncomfortably aware that he was covered in dried sweat and cum. Sex might be awesome, but it sure left one dirty.

Seeing his distress, Castiel rose up on his knees and allowed the softening erection to slip out of his asshole. Both men hisses at the friction on their now sensitive flesh. Castiel gently removed used condom from Dean’s cock, causing the young businessman to shiver, then stumbled out of the living room through the door leading further inside the house and returned moment later with a dump washcloth. Instead of handing it to Dean, he leaned down and personally wiped his stomach and member of cum. Well, if he wants to take care of clean-up, Dean won’t stop him. It actually felt nice to be attended like this by the guy he had sex with. He tried to ignore warm fuzzies that awoke in his belly. The guy was nice and attentive, but that wasn’t a reason to act like a huge girl over someone he just met.

Jesus Christ, he _seriously_ just met him. And they _fucked_ like wild animals.

Once Castiel was done, he straightened up and nodded with appreciation at his work. “Now that you paid the token, I can show you the way” he announced, before throwing the washcloth away and turning to put his clothes back on.

_He might be hot, but what a weirdo._

Despite feeling hazy from the orgasm, Dean somehow managed to get dressed and followed Castiel outside. On his way he remembered the suspicions he had toward the man due to his odd behavior. Although he didn’t admit it to himself, partially overtaken by lust, partially out of embarrassment for having such stupid ideas, he honestly expected to stumble upon a scenario straight from “ _The Texan Chainsaw Massacre_ ” with family of psychos who kidnap and torture people for fun. Well, he had fun, but thankfully it involved less death.

When they got out of the cabin, Dean noticed that light was more dim than before. The sun has already started its descent down the sky and in a matter of an hour or less it’ll get dark.

“You’ll be able to find your way back at night?” Dean asked. “I can give you my flashlight.”

“I know this forest like the palm of my hand” Castiel assured. “Whenever it’s day or night, I can navigate through it easily.”

Dean didn’t like the idea of Castiel wandering in complete darkness, but at the same time he wanted to avoid angering his guide, so he kept mouth shut and obediently followed after him. When they passed through the line of trees, he glanced back to take one last look at the cabin.

Huh, that’s strange… The place seemed a lot more decrepit than before, with dirty walls and broken windows… Probably just the effect of different lighting playing tricks on him…

Without analyzing the problem any further, Dean turned his head away and kept walking.

Half an hour later the forest line ended and trees parted to reveal the parking lot. Relieved, Dean run toward his car, sneakers shuffling against concrete surface and sand, and patted it affectionately on the roof. Now that he returned to place where his journey started, the reality of his adventure fully sunk in. He got lost in the forest, met a strange guy and _fucked him_ for help in finding his place back. What a strange encounter.

“I believe this is where we part” Castiel said.

“Thanks for the help, Cas. I'd be a goner without you.”

“A lot of men get lost in this forest.”

For a moment Dean stared silently at Castiel, unable to find his own voice.

“Are you… Do you ask them for similar ' _payment_ '?”

Castiel's expression grew stern, causing Dean to think briefly that he unintentionally insulted him, but then he responded: “My parents say it's shameful for two males to lay together and they forbid me from indulging in it.”

Dean nodded with understatement. Yeah, if he had such jerks for parents, he would be doing his best to break their rules as well. “Either way, thanks again.” He waved goodbye, then settled on driver's seat and turned the key in ignition. The engine roared to life and Dean slowly pulled out of the parking lot.

When he looked back toward the forest, Castiel was already gone.

 

***

 

Traditional Sunday dinner with Sam and Jess started as usual, even if Dean had to coax his brother into taking a break from work for at least an hour. Recently Sam was given an important case, his biggest one since joining the company he worked at for past four years and winning it will help him to be taken seriously as a lawyer. Big opportunity or not, Dean was of the mindset that you need to spend time with your family and considering how much stress the situation was putting on Sam – he looked like Death with pale skin, dark circles around his eyes and shaky hands due to lack of sleep – a break would do wonders for him.

“If you fall asleep during next court session, it won’t win you any favors” Dean argued, ignoring every single bitch face Sam hurled at him. “Come on, you need to eat. And taking a break will clear your mind.”

Eventually they sat down at the kitchen table in the small, but lovely (as an old lady would describe it) house on suburbia that Sam and Jess were living in. It had everything you’d expect from place like this: walls painted in bright colors, a large backyard for future kids to play in, neat lawn and white picket fence that was reaching only to mid-tights, so it didn't keep anyone from getting on the property. A perfect house for anyone who liked _boring_ , _uneventful_ life away from the city.

No, Dean wasn’t jealous. Shut up.

“Let’s dig in” Jess said as she grabbed a fork. “I spent two hours trying out a new recipe and I’m curious how it turned out.”

The dinner consisted of beefsteaks with fried mushrooms and fried tomatoes, purée and salad made specifically for Sam who loved vegetarian food more than anything. It looked very tasty and Dean picked his own utensils, feeling his mouth watering.

“Everything you cook is delicious” Sam assured.

“Oh, that’s so sweet” Jess laughed “but also not true. Remember the over-salted spaghetti from three months ago?”

“That was an accident.”

“But it _happened_.”

Dean shook his head while cutting into beefsteak. You’d think that after being together for six years – _goddamned_ , was it seriously this long? – they’d tune down on the sickeningly sweet “ _I’m so in love with you that my brains cells got fried_ ” shtick, but nope, Sam and Jess were determined to keep it up as long as humanly possible.

“Well, I’m glad that we’re all here to enjoy it” Dean commented.

If stares could kill, he would immediately fall down from the death-glare Sam gave him. Instead he paid no attention to it and calmly chewed on the piece of beefsteak. It was well grilled, but not overdone, just the way he liked it.

“I know I work a lot lately, but this is a big opportunity for me, alright?” Sam grumbled. “Stop harping on it.”

“You do work a lot” Dean agreed, earning another dirty look from Sam. “However, that’s not what I was talking about.”

“Then what was it?”

Dean hesitated, moving his eyes between Sam and Jess, unsure if he needed to worry them. Whenever he brought up a problem that was bothering him, they always took it very personally and tried to offer a possible solution on the spot. On one hand it was heartwarming – his last remaining family was there to keep his back – but on the other hand also overwhelming. Dean was the big brother and he should be taking care of others.

Ultimately he figured the whole experience ended well, so Sam and Jess won’t have anything to fret over.

“Yesterday, while I was taking pictures in the forest, I got lost and couldn’t find my way back” Dean revealed. When he saw concern on Sam and Jess’s faces, he quickly finished: “Don’t worry. I’m here now, so everything’s fine, right?”

Clearly, everything _wasn’t_ fine, judging by their expressions. However, they decided to hold back worried comments and returned to the dinner.

“How did you find your way?” Sam questioned.

“I’ve met some guy who helped me out.”

To Dean’s surprise Jess chuckled. “Did he request some sort of payment from you?” she asked in amused voice and Sam shook his head.

_What the…?_

Dean slowly lowered his fork and rested it on the edge of the plate, studying his brother and sister-in-law. Was demanding a favor in exchange for help in dire situation a common practice and he never noticed it or something weird was going on? He opened his mouth to confirm that the man expected a payment, until he remembered what said payment looked like and an embarrassment stopped his voice in its track. Even though he had easy attitude toward casual sex, he didn’t want to discuss his sexcapades with Sam and Jess.

“Why?” Dean chocked out. “Why are you asking?”

“Ignore her” Sam tuned in, cutting his beefsteak harder than necessary. “She only wants to use the situation to talk about her fairytale research some more.”

Jess glared at him. “I enjoy folklore studies, okay? You might not find it interesting and it might not be as important as your lawyer job, but you don’t need to dismiss it.”

 _Troubles in paradise_ , Dean concluded. He hated watching Sam and Jess argue, rarely as it happened, so he decided to break the tension before things got too serious: “What your studies have to do with the guy who helped me?”

“Well...” Jess turned to him and cleared her throat. “Recently I've been reading legends about forest spirits. They're long-living beings who reside in woods and possess limited magical abilities: making plants grow faster, altering human perception of reality, those sorts of things. Forest spirits tend to avoid people, but if they come across someone lost, they will offer help in exchange for a token of appreciation.”

“And if person refused to pay, would they leave them to die there?” Sam sneered.

“Certainly if they were big jerks like you.”

Sam and Jess's argument continued, but Dean wasn't paying any more attention to them.

Instead his thoughts circled around the strange encounter in the woods as remembered Cas's comment that he doesn't interact with people often (not “ _other people_ ”, just “ _people_ ”), a pack of condoms that was hidden in chest of drawers where homophobic parents could easily find them, a cabin that looked eerily like display room in furniture store and then decrepit once they didn't need it anymore…

And that pair of inhumanly blue eyes…


End file.
